Michael We have plenty of wild animals here in America, travelers of the numerous national and state parks often report sightings of bears, cougars, buffalo and much more. However, lately there have been reports of wild animals entering even urban areas, and San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area are no exception.

Angelika Our Governor Newsom narrowly escaped a recall recently. Nearly 62% of California voters voted "no" on September 14th to his removal. The majority of the population probably did not want a political change in these turbulent times. However, there are still a few other eagerly awaited recall proceedings pending in San Francisco. Our District Attorney Chesa Boudin will most likely also have to face a recall procedure. The necessary signatures were submitted by the end of October and are now awaiting verification from the relevant authority.

Michael Since we have had the dubious pleasure of flying back and forth between the US and Germany several times in the last few months, I wanted to quickly explain what bureaucratic hurdles have to be overcome nowadays due to Corona.

Angelika Nowadays everyone is talking about the pandemic-related supply chain problems and we have already written about the container ships that are stuck in sea traffic. At that time we also reported that we were still waiting for a Christmas package from Michael's sister, which she had sent by ship ( Rundbrief 04/2021 ). It should be noted that the package started its journey at the end of October 2020 when it was dropped off at the post office in Augsburg.

Angelika When autumn followed summer, San Francisco issued some confusing mask regulations. According to the latest newsletter, masks for vaccinated individuals were recommended indoors but not yet mandatory ( Rundbrief 07/2021 ). However, that changed on August 3rd. Regardless of whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, masks were required by everyone in public indoor spaces, such as supermarkets, museums, churches, and fitness studios. However, this regulation was relaxed again on October 15th. If you are vaccinated, you do not need to wear a mask in San Francisco at work in the office, during worship services, in fitness centers, or during other gatherings. However, this is only the case if the vaccination status is verified at the entrance. Masks are still mandatory in schools, public transportation, shops, doctor's offices, and hospitals. Furthermore, since August 20th, only vaccinated individuals are allowed to visit the indoor areas of bars, restaurants, fitness studios, and museums in San Francisco. Certificates are checked at the entrance. A negative COVID test is no longer sufficient to gain entry. Children under 12 are exempt from this rule, as they cannot yet be vaccinated.

Michael Our city beach on the Pacific side is quite famous and notorious. At the so-called "Ocean Beach," anyone can walk for miles for free and enjoy the breathtaking views. Hikers can see all sorts of marine life, such as albatrosses, dolphins, seals, or whales. The beach stretches endlessly, from San Francisco's now-closed Cliff House in the north down to the suburb of Daly City. During winter storms, 30 foot high monster waves break off the coast, which even the most daring surfers avoid. On warm summer days, walkers only hear the splashing, and strollers enjoy fabulous sunsets. We walk there a few times a month and have surely covered a thousand miles by now.

Michael Whenever we're flying back to San Francisco from Germany, we travel with heavy luggage. Often, it's four large bags, packed full and carefully balanced until the maximum weight is reached. However, after landing and picking up the luggage from the conveyor belt, the problem arises of maneuvering the suitcases about a quarter mile (and up an elevator) to the taxi stand. Every airport in the world provides luggage carts for its passengers, sometimes for a small fee at popular transfer points. For example, in Frankfurt, renting a cart costs one Euro.

Angelika Actually, the section for top products is always reserved for Michael, but today it's my turn. I love reading, and this month I devoured one of the best non-fiction books I've read in a long time. The American doctor Atul Gawande, in his work "Being Mortal" (German title: "Sterblich sein"), deals with dying and how modern medicine miserably fails to accompany this process with dignity. It's about what really matters at the end of a life. Through many personal stories (including that of his own father), Gawande illustrates how often people are treated and managed without considering their true needs and seeks ways out of this predicament. Highly recommended!

Michael From American Wild West films, we are familiar with the scenes where penniless individuals travel half across America in empty freight train cars. You can watch mile-long trains with hundreds of cars sometimes chugging along at only 10 or 20 mph through the endless prairie, and often there is no cargo on a car or there is still room for an undemanding passenger in an empty livestock car. Towards the end of the 19th century, it was mainly traveling vagrants, known as Hobos , using this free, albeit neither comfortable nor entirely safe method of passenger transport. Although the railway police are working hard to deter unauthorized passengers from riding by being present at the loading stations, since the trains sometimes only travel at a slow pace, hobos often simply jump onto the moving wagons somewhere along the open track.